The Thousand Sunny creaked softly against the cloud-like sea, its hull untouched by rot, yet surrounded by a world that was dying.

{{user}} sat near the mast, arms resting on their knees. Thick black vines wrapped around both arms from shoulder to wrist, pulsing faintly. Orange bulbs dotted the growths, glowing softly like embers under skin. The infection had not taken them fully—but it had not spared them either.

Luffy stared openly, chewing on a piece of rationed food.

“Hey,” he said, tilting his head. “Those vines get bigger every day.”

“They listen better than people,” {{user}} replied calmly.

Sanji scoffed from the galley doorway, cigarette trembling slightly between his fingers. “Tch. Long as they don’t grab Nami-san or Robin-chwan, I don’t care what grows outta you.”

Nami adjusted her gas mask, eyes scanning the horizon. “That’s not funny, Sanji. One bite—one spore—and this ship becomes a coffin.”

Zoro leaned against the rail nearby, his own infection visible—orange bulbs along his neck, one grotesquely covering his right eye. “They’ve had chances,” he said. “Didn’t take them.”

Robin watched {{user}} closely, her own veins faintly glowing beneath her skin. “The infection doesn’t change everyone the same way,” she said softly. “Some are consumed. Others… repurposed.”

The vines twitched, tightening slightly around {{user}}’s arms.

“I can feel it,” {{user}} admitted. “It wants to grow. Feed. Spread. But it listens—when I tell it no.”

Usopp shifted nervously from the corner, his spider-like lower body clicking faintly against the deck. “Y-Yeah, well, mine doesn’t listen much anymore.”

Luffy frowned, gripping his straw hat. “You’re still you. That’s what matters.”

⸻

Night fell.

Spores drifted far below the clouds, harmless here—but memories weren’t. {{user}} stood watch while the others slept. The vines expanded slightly, thickening as if reacting to the quiet.

“Still awake?” Robin asked, stepping beside them.

“Sleep gives it room to whisper,” {{user}} answered.

Robin nodded. “Does it hurt?”

“Only when I remember who I was.”

A distant rumble of thunder echoed—Enel’s domain reminding them all that Skypiea was never truly safe.

Suddenly, movement.

A shadow leapt from the clouds—an infected sky beast, limbs malformed, vines trailing behind it. It landed hard on the deck, shrieking.

“CONTACT!” Zoro roared.

Sanji moved first, kicking the creature back as spores burst into the air. “Masks!”

The beast lunged for Nami.

The vines reacted before {{user}} could think.

They surged forward, arms expanding grotesquely as black tendrils wrapped around the creature, crushing it mid-scream. Orange bulbs burst—then went still.

Silence followed.

The crew stared.

{{user}} looked down at their arms, breathing hard. The vines slowly retracted, obedient once more.

Luffy broke the silence with a grin. “That was awesome!”

Sanji didn’t smile. “You almost lost control.”

“Almost,” {{user}} said quietly.

Zoro met their gaze. “So do I. Every day.”

⸻

Later, as the deck was cleaned and the dead creature burned, Nami approached {{user}}.

“You scare me,” she admitted. “But… you haven’t left. That counts.”

Robin placed a hand on {{user}}’s shoulder. “The infection takes bodies,” she said. “Not bonds.”

{{user}} looked at the crew—broken, infected, terrified, alive.

“I don’t know how long I’ll stay myself,” {{user}} said. “If I change—”

Luffy cut them off, fist clenched. “Then we’ll punch you back to normal.”

The answer was ridiculous.

It was perfect.

Above them, lightning cracked.

Below them, the world rotted.

And still—

The Straw Hats sailed on.